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MARK E. PETERSON
Total Articles:
7
Mark E. Peterson, Mormon Apostle from 1944 to 1984, famous for his anti-masturbation talk, anti-oral sex. He demanded that sex between a man and a woman was only for procreation. In 1975 at a Stake Conference in Seattle, he claimed "I've been married to my wife for 44 years, and never once have seen her body uncovered." Mark, also a typical Mormon racist, stated "I would be willing to let every Negro drive a Cadillac if they could afford it."

Steps in Overcoming Masturbation

The following guide to overcoming masturbation was presented as a letter in the Mormon missionary guide in 1970 by Mormon Apostle Mark E. Peterson.

Be assured that you can be cured of your difficulty. Many have been, both male and female, and you can be also if you determine that it must be so.

This determination is the first step. That is where we begin. You must decide that you will end this practice, and when you make that decision, the problem will be greatly reduced at once.

But it must be more than a hope or a wish, more than knowing that it is good for you. It must be actually a decision. If you truly make up your mind that you will be cured, then you will have the strength to resist any tendencies which you may have and any temptations which may come to you. After you have made this decision, then observe the following specific guidelines.

A Guide to Self-Control

1. Never touch the intimate parts of your body except during normal toilet processes. Avoid being alone as much as possible. Find good company and stay in this good company.

2. If you are associated with other persons having this same problem, you must break off their friendship. Never associate with other people having the same weakness. Don't suppose that two of you will quit together, you never will. You must get away from people of that kind. Just to be in their presence will keep your problem foremost in your mind. The problem must be taken out of your mind for that is where it really exists. Your mind must be on other and more wholesome things.

3. When you bathe, do not admire yourself in a mirror. Never stay in the bath more than five or six minutes -- just long enough to bathe and dry and dress and then get out of the bathroom into a room where you will have some member of your family present.

4. When in bed, if that is where you have your problem for the most part, dress yourself for the night so securely that you cannot easily touch your vital parts, and so that it would be difficult and time consuming for you to remove those clothes. By the time you started to remove protective clothing you would have sufficiently controlled your thinking that the temptation would leave you.

5. If the temptation seems overpowering while you are in bed, get out of bed and go into the kitchen and fix yourself a snack, even if it is in the middle of the night, and even if you are not hungry, and despite your fears of gaining weight. The purpose behind this suggestion is that you get your mind on something else. You are the subject of your thoughts, so to speak.

6. Never read pornographic material. Never read about your problem. Keep it out of mind. Remember -- "First a thought, then an act." The thought pattern must be changed. You must not allow this problem to remain in your mind. When you accomplish that, you soon will be free of the act.

7. Put wholesome thoughts into your mind at all times. Read good books -- Church books -- Scriptures -- Sermons of the Brethren. Make a daily habit of reading at least one chapter of Scripture, preferably from one of the four Gospels in the New Testament, or the Book of Mormon. The four Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John -- above anything else in the Bible can be helpful because of their uplifting qualities.

8. Pray. But when you pray, don't pray about this problem, for that will tend to keep it in your mind more than ever. Pray for faith, pray for understanding of the Scriptures, pray for the Missionaries, the General Authorities, your friends, your families, but keep the problem out of your mind by not mentioning it ever -- not in conversation with others, not in your prayers. keep it out of your mind!

The attitude of a person toward his problem has an effect on how easy it is to overcome. It is essential that a firm commitment be made to control the habit. As a person understands his reasons for the behavior, and is sensitive to the conditions or situations that may trigger a desire for the act, he develops the power to control it.

We are taught that our bodies are temples of God, and are to be clean so that the Holy Ghost may dwell within us. Masturbation is a sinful habit that robs one of the Spirit and creates guilt and emotional stress. It is not physically harmful unless practiced in the extreme. It is a habit that is totally self-centered, and secretive, and in no way expresses the proper use of the procreative power given to man to fulfill eternal purposes. It therefore separates a person from God and defeats the gospel plan.

This self-gratifying activity will cause one to lose his self-respect and feel guilty and depressed, which can in the extreme lead to further sinning. As a person feels spiritually unclean, he loses his interest in prayer, his testimony becomes weak, and missionary work and other Church callings become burdensome, offering no joy and limited success.

To help in planning an effective program to overcome the problem a brief explanation is given of how the reproductive organs in a young man function.

The testes in your body are continually producing hundreds of millions of reproductive cells call spermatozoa. These are moved up a tube called the vas deferens to a place called the ampulla where they are mixed with fluids from two membranous pouches called seminal vesicles and the prostate gland. The resultant fluid is called semen. When the seminal vesicles are full a signal is sent to the central nervous system indicating they are ready to be emptied. The rate at which the filling takes place varies greatly from one person to another, depending on such things as diet, exercise, state of health, etc. For some it may be several times a week, for others twice a month and for others, hardly ever.

It is normal for the vesicles to be emptied occasionally at night during sleep. This is called a wet dream. The impulses that cause the emptying come from the central nervous system. Often an erotic dream is experienced at the same time, and is a part of this normal process. If a young man has consistently masturbated instead of letting nature take its course, the reproductive system is operating at a more rapid pace, trying to keep up with the loss of semen. When he stops the habit, the body will continue to produce at this increased rate, for an indefinite period of time, creating sexual tensions and pressure. These are not harmful and are to be endured until the normal central nervous system pathway of release is once again established.

During this period of control several things can be done to make the process easier and more effective.

As one meets with his Priesthood Leader, a program for overcoming masturbation can be implemented using some of the suggestions which follow. Remember it is essential that a regular report program be agreed on, so progress can be recognized and failures understood and eliminated.
Suggestions

1. Pray daily, ask for the gifts of the Spirit, that which will strengthen you against temptation. Pray fervently and out lout when the temptations are the strongest.

2. Follow a program of vigorous daily exercise. The exercises reduce emotional tension and depression and are absolutely basic to the solution of this problem. Double your physical activity when you feel stress increasing.

3. When the temptation to masturbate is strong, yell STOP to those thoughts as loudly as you can in your mind and then recite a prechosen Scripture or sing an inspirational hymn. It is important to turn your thoughts away from the selfish need to indulge.

4. Set goals of abstinence, begin with a day, then a week, month, year and finally commit to never doing it again. Until you commit yourself to _never again_ you will always be open to temptation.

5. Change in behavior and attitude is most easily achieved through a changed self-image. Spend time every day imagining yourself strong and in control, easily overcoming tempting situations.

6. Begin to work daily on a self-improvement program. Relate this plan to improving your Church service, to improving your relationships with your family, God and others. Strive to enhance your strengths and talents.

7. Be outgoing and friendly. Force yourself to be with others and learn to enjoy working and talking to them. Use principles of developing friendships found in books such as How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

8. Be aware of situations that depress you or that cause you to feel lonely, bored, frustrated or discouraged. These emotional states can trigger the desire to masturbate as a way of escape. Plan in advance to counter these low periods through various activities, such as reading a book, visiting a friend, doing something athletic, etc.

9. Make a pocket calendar for a month on a small card. Carry it with you, but show it to no one. If you have a lapse of self control, color the day black. Your goal will be to have no black days. The calendar becomes a strong visual reminder of self control and should be looked at when you are tempted to add another black day. Keep your calendar up until you have at least three clear months.

10. A careful study will indicate you have had the problem at certain times and under certain conditions. Try and recall, in detail, what your particular times and conditions were. Now that you understand how it happens, plan to break the pattern through counter activities.

11. In the field of psychotherapy there is a very effective technique called aversion therapy. When we associate or think of something very distasteful with something which has been pleasurable, but undesirable, the distasteful thought and feeling will begin to cancel out that which was pleasurable. If you associate something very distasteful with your loss of self-control it will help you to stop the act. For example, if you are tempted to masturbate, think of having to bathe in a tub of worms, and eating several of them as you do the act.

12. During your toileting and shower activities leave the bathroom door or shower curtain partly open, to discourage being alone in total privacy. Take cool brief showers.

13. Arise immediately in the mornings. Do not lie in bed awake, no matter what time of day it is. Get up and do something. Start each day with an enthusiastic activity.

15. Reduce the amount of spices and condiments in your food. Eat as lightly as possible at night.

16. Wear pajamas that are difficult to open, yet loose and not binding.

17. Avoid people, situations, pictures or reading materials that might create sexual excitement.
18. It is sometimes helpful to have a physical object to use in overcoming this problem. A Book of Mormon, firmly held in hand, even in bed at night has proven helpful in extreme cases.

19. In very severe cases it may be necessary to tie a hand to the bed frame with a tie in order that the habit of masturbating in a semi-sleep condition can be broken. This can also be accomplished by wearing several layers of clothing which would be difficult to remove while half asleep.

20. Set up a reward system for your successes. It does not have to be a big reward. A quarter in a receptacle each time you overcome or reach a goal. Spend it on something which delights you and will be a continuing reminder of your progress.

21. Do not let yourself return to any past habit or attitude patterns which were part of your problem. Satan never gives up. Be calmly and confidently on guard. Keep a positive mental attitude. You can win this fight! The joy and strength you will feel when you do will give your whole life a radiant and spiritual glow of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Mark E. Petersen's Racist Talk At BYU

The Mormon apostle Mark E. Petersen gave a talk at Brigham Young University in 1954 concerning race relations. Here are select parts of that talk:

“Is there reason then why the type of birth we receive in this life is not a reflection of our WORTHINESS OR LACK OF IT in the pre-existent life?...can we account in any other of way for the birth of some of the children of God in darkest AFRICA, or in flood-ridden CHINA, or among the starving hordes of INDIA, while some of the rest of us are born here in the United States? We cannot escape the conclusion that because of performance in our pre-existence some of us are born as Chinese, some as Japanese, some as Indians, some as Negroes, some as Americans, some as Latter-day Saints. THESE ARE REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS, fully in harmony with His established policy in dealing with SINNERS AND SAINTS, rewarding all according to their deeds....

Using the Chinese as an example:

“Let us consider the great mercy of God for a moment. A Chinese, born in China with A DARK SKIN, and with all the handicaps of that race seems to have little opportunity. But think of the mercy of God to Chinese people who are willing to accept the gospel. IN SPITE OF WHATEVER THEY MIGHT HAVE DONE IN THE PRE-EXISTENCE TO JUSTIFY BEING BORN OVER THERE AS CHINAMEN, if they now, in this life, accept the gospel and live it the rest of their lives they can have the Priesthood, go to the temple and receive endowments and sealings, and that means they can have exaltation. Isn't the mercy of God marvelous?

Concerning Africans:

“Think of the Negro, CURSED AS TO THE PRIESTHOOD.... This negro, who, in the pre-existence lived the type of life which justified the Lord in sending him to the earth in the lineage of Cain with a BLACK SKIN, and possibly being born in darkest Africa–if that negro is willing when he hears the gospel to accept it, he may have many of the blessings of the gospel. IN SPITE OF ALL HE DID IN THE PRE-EXISTENT LIFE, the Lord is willing, if the Negro accepts the gospel with real, sincere faith, and is really converted, to give him the blessings of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. If that Negro is faithful all his days, he can and will enter the celestial kingdom. He will go there AS A SERVANT, but he will get celestial glory.”

On civil rights. What people of African decent want:

“The discussion on civil rights, especially over the last 20 years, has drawn some very sharp lines. It has blinded the thinking of some of our own people, I believe. They have allowed their political affiliations to color their thinking to some extent, and then, of course, they have been persuaded by some of the arguments that have been put forth.... We who teach in the Church certainly must have our feet on the ground and not be led astray by the philosophies of men on this subject... “I think I have read enough to give you an idea of what the negro is after. He is not just seeking the opportunity of sitting down in a cafe where white people eat. He isn't just trying to ride on the same streetcar or the same Pullman car with white people. It isn't that he just desires to go to the same theater as the white people. From this, and other interviews I have read, it appears that the negro seeks absorbtion with the white race. He will not be satisfied until he achieves it by intermarriage.That is his objective and we must face it. We must not allow our feeling to carry us away, nor must we feel so sorry for negroes that we will open our arms and embrace them with everything we have. Remember the little statement that we used to say about sin, 'First we pity, then endure, then embrace.'...

On segregation. A Godly principle:

“Now let's talk SEGREGATION again for a few moments. Was segregation a wrong principle? When the Lord chose the nations to which the spirits were to come, determining that some would be Japanese and some would be Chinese and some Negroes and some Americans, He engaged in an act of SEGREGATION.... When he told Enoch not to preach the gospel to the descendants of Cain who were BLACK, the Lord engaged in SEGREGATION. When He CURSED the descendants of Cain as to the Priesthood, He engaged in SEGREGATION.... “Who placed the Negroes originally in darkest Africa? Was it some man, or was it God? And when He placed them there, He SEGREGATED them....The Lord segregated the people both as to blood and place of residence. At least in the cases of the Lamanites and the Negroes we have the definite word of the Lord Himself that He placed a dark skin upon them as a curse–as a punishment and as a sign to all others. He forbade intermarriage with them under threat of extension of the curse. (2 Nephi 5:21) And He certainly SEGREGATED the descendants of Cain when He cursed the Negro as to the Priesthood, and drew an absolute line. You may even say He dropped an Iron curtain there....

Mr. Petersen would that every person of African decent drive a cadillac:

“Now we are generous with the negro. We are willing that the Negro have the highest kind of education. I would be willing to let every Negro drive a cadillac if they could afford it. I would be willing that they have all the advantages they can get out of life in the world. BUT LET THEM ENJOY THESE THINGS AMONG THEMSELVES, I think the Lord segregated the Negro and who is man to change that segregation? It reminds me of the scripture on marriage, 'what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.' Only here we have the reverse of the thing– WHAT GOD HATH SEPARATED, LET NOT MAN BRING TOGETHER AGAIN.”

(Race Problems as They Affect the Church, an address by Apostle Mark E. Petersen, delivered at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, Brigham Young University, August 27,1954)

Mark E. Peterson Staples Pornography Shut!

I just remembered something that happened in the mission field in England back around '77.

Mark E. Peterson was visiting England and came to our mission. Of course this meant we had to have a mission conference so that we could all partake of his greatness and glory.

One of the things he spoke about was the evils of pornography. He said that it was rampant in the world but that it was not a new invention; it had been around for thousands of years in one form or another.

As an example he mentioned the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament. He said that not only was it not inspired but that it was actually pornographic! He held his scriptures up and showed us that he had actually stapled the Song of Solomon shut so that he would not 'accidentally' look at it. And further he advised each of us to do the same!

I didn't receive a burning in my bosom that what he was saying was true. The burning took place a little lower when I realized that I had some porn parked on my lap! Of course most every Elder, and probably some of the Sisters, started an intensive study of the OT right after the conference to see what all the fuss was about. Only a couple of Elders that I heard of actually followed the instruction and glued or stapled the pages together.

If you've ever read the Song of Solomon you know that it does contain some allegorical references to a womans body and some very slight references to sex. But porn? That definition would be an incredible stretch for any rational thinking adult.

Oh, I forgot! We are talking about a member of the 12; Rational thinking would be the incredible stretch. This Biblical porn advice came from the same man that told people to tie their arm to the bed to cure masturbation.

Mark E. Peterson Claimed, "I've Been Married To My Wife For 44 Years, And Never Once Have Seen Her Body Uncovered"

I was 18 yrs old and just completed my first year at BYU. It was time for me to be ordained an Elder. I was home for the summer (BYU semester ended late April). I was in the Seattle East Stake (Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah)

In our stake, there was some kind of stir, some talk going around. I was young and naive, but learned it had to do with whether oral sex was OK among married couples. Apparently the question was raised in prior weeks/months, and bishops and the Stake Pres were attempting to give counsel. The Regional rep of the 12 got wind of this, and guess what? They immediately scheduled Mark E. Peterson to address our Stake at the next Stake conference!

It was Sunday, May 25th, 1975. They quietly scheduled a meeting for all ADULTS, to be held 3 hours prior to regular Stake conference. I showed up early, and it was amazing, the parking lot was totally full at 6:30am, with cars parked clear down the street. The chapel was packed to overflowing.

During this "meeting", actually a dictator-style lecture by Elder Peterson, it was said very sternly that oral sex is an abomination, and had no place in marital relations. wow, you could have heard a pin drop. Peterson wielded a mighty, authoritative presence. And he was a bit cranky. He seemed displeased that this was even an isssue!

He also spoke during our regular conference meeting. A long, boring tirade. He somewhat carried this "purity in marriage" theme over. I clearly remember him saying "you know, I've been married to my wife for 44 years, and never once have seen her body uncovered". Again there was silence. What a joke; implicit in his remarks was the idea that sex is ONLY for procreation, and the visual enjoyment of bodies is dirty, not beautiful.

Putting this in context, can you imagine the power & influence of a bigshot apostle coming from SLC, enjoying the unquestioned favor of 2500 people? And all this in the name of God? Can you say, "brainwashed, cult"? He put that sexual issue to bed, for years to come!

By the way, I had requested in advance through my Stake President that apostle Peterson personally ordain me an Elder, while he was in town that Sunday. At the last minute, I was handed a note "request denied, Elder Peterson much too busy"...... I remember being hurt and disapointed.

Those Gold Plates!

I found this little gem of a book, “Those Gold Plates!” in my parent’s library. It was written in 1979 by the apostle Mark E. Peterson. In the first chapter Peterson describes various ancient cultures that have written records on metal plates. Of particular interest are the plates that have been found in southern Mexico, “twelve in one placeтІsome contained writings in ancient tongues.”

Unfortunately for Peterson, these are the Padilla plates and have been exposed as a complete fraud and forgery. Mormon author Brant Gardener in his article “Too Good to be True” examines many of the mistakes the forger made on the Padilla plates concluding that he didn’t understand Mayan art. However according to Apostle Peterson these are just one more example of metal plates that, “provides abundant authenticity to the reality of such practices among the Book of Mormon peoples.

Even more outrageous Peterson claims, “There are the Kinderhook plates, too, found in AmericaтІmost experts agree they are of ancient vintage.” Wrong again Mr. Prophet Seer and Revelator. The Kinderhook plates were electronically and chemically tested in 1980 and found to be of modern origin. Aside from using examples that have been proven to be forgeries the big difference between the examples of real metal plates and the gold plates is that you can examine any of these other plates. The gold plates were supposedly taken by the angel Moroni, why? Is it the actual plates that are sacred or the writings on them. Even if the plates did exist you would still need a testimony to believe that they were divine in origin. The fact that no one can examine them should make their existence dubious at best and ridiculous in reality.

There is a two-page table of “Old World Writing on Metal Plates” which are examples of ancient plates found at various locations around the world. Peterson goes to such great lengths to prove that writing on metal plates was a normal part of most cultures history. Oddly enough North America is one of the only places in his table that they haven’t found engraved metal plates despite the author providing evidences from two modern forgeries, the Padilla plates and the Kinderhook plates.

Chapter one of “Those Gold Plates” was such a hoot. With such great proofs of the Book of Mormon’s authenticity, I can’t wait to see what proofs the apostle has in chapter two!

Apostle Mark E. Petersen On The "Punishment" Of Being Born Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Negroe Et Al

The Mormon Apostle Mark E. Petersen made these comments in an address delivered at Brigham Young University:

What should be our attitude as Latter-day Saints toward negro and other dark race? . . . We cannot escape the conclusion that because of performance in our pre-existence some of us are born as Chinese, some as Japanese, some as Indians, some as Negroes, some as Americans, some as Latter-day Saints. These are rewards and punishments, . . .

Now let's talk segregation again for a few moments. . . . When the Lord chose the nations to which the spirits were to come, . . . He engaged in an act of segregation. . . . In placing a curse on Laman and Lemuel, He engaged in segregation. . . .

The Lord segregated the people both as to blood and place of residence. At least in the cases of the Lamanites and the Negroes we have the definite word of the Lord Himself that He places a dark skin upon them as a curse–as a punishment and as a sign to all others. He forbade intermarriage with them under threat of extension of the curse. (2 Nephi 5:21) . . .

What is our advice with respect to intermarriage with Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiians and so on? I will tell you what advice I give personally. If a boy or girl comes to me claiming to be in love with a Chinese or Japanese or a Hawaiian or a person of any other dark race, I do my best to talk them out of it. I tell them that I think the Hawaiians should marry Hawaiians, the Japanese ought to marry Japanese, and the Chinese ought to marry Chinese, and the Caucasians should marry Caucasians, . . . I teach against inter-marriage of all kinds. (Race Problems–As They Affect The Church, Address by Mark E. Petersen, Brigham Young University, August 27, 1954)

I still find it hard to believe that ANY family members of mine are still affiliated with this Moronic organization...let alone that I at one time was.

Or so it seems to me

Mark E. Petersen, Mormon Apostle, Bigot - Raging Bigot

Non-white Mormons please read the below link. This was relatively recent in the 1950's. Bigotry has been part of Mormon doctrines since the writing of the Book of Mormon, it is doctrinal. Why participate in a bigoted religion? Why give them their PR photos, they see your non-white skin as a curse for pre-existent sin or laziness.

I believe so much of Mormonism is about wanting to feel special about yourself and that is why Utah, Idaho, and Arizona are the core of this religion. The moms and dads make babies and teach them they are extra special as long as they stay Mormon. This is a quote sourced below, by Mormon Apostle, Mark E. Petersen

He was an awful man, a bigot, and a Mormon apostle. His words are despicable and require no apologist to help explain. They are outdated white, American bigotry.

Quote:

"Is there reason then why the type of birth we receive in this life is not a reflection of our worthiness or lack of it in the pre-existent life? We must accept the justice of God. He is fair to all. With that in mind, we can account in no other way for the birth of some of the children of God in darkest Africa, or in flood-ridden China, or among the starving hordes of India, while some of the rest of us are born in the United States? We cannot escape the conclusion that because of performance in our pre-existence some of us are born as Chinese, some as Japanese, some as Indians, some as Negroes, some as Americans, some as Latter-day Saints. There are rewards and punishments, fully in harmony with His established policy in dealing with sinners and saints, rewarding all according to their deeds."

Mark E. Petersen, Race Problems as they Affect the Church.

The whole presentation can be found here. I have to believe this should have been horrifying in 1954. It must have been, why do Mormons follow these men. Because they are good? Horrible people.

Also thought you might find what another Mormon prophet though of him, Ezra Taft Benson.

Yet, with all of his faith, commitment, and energy, he was, as President Ezra Taft Benson has said, “one of the most kind, considerate, and gracious men I have known.” Graciousness was truly a dominant characteristic of Mark Petersen. From it flowed his refinement, his appreciation for education, for art, and particularly for music.

Kind, considerate, and gracious man--that bigot was a kind, gracious, considerate man. Really kind of wrong by a lot.